Moores happy as Notts Outlaws keep T20 hopes alive

Head coach Peter Moore was full of praise for his Nottinghamshire Outlaws side after a spectacular win over Worcestershire Rapids on Sunday kept alive their hopes of grabbing a place in the quarter-finals of the Vitality T20 Blast.

Holders Notts looked dead and buried after a very indifferent campaign in this season’s competition. But a remarkable knock of 55 from only 18 balls, including nine sixes, by opener Riki Wessels, helped them to a a five-wicket success over high-riding Worcestershire.

Now, if Notts win their final game of the group stages, away to Yorkshire on Friday night, they could yet snatch fourth place and a tie in the last eight next week.

Moores said: “It is a huge game at Headingley to try and make sure we get a place in the quarter-finals. But our last two wins have demonstrated the potential we know we’ve got in our batting.

“Riki is one of our big players and he came back to form to get us off to the start you want in a run chase. He got hit on the chest early on which seemed to fire him up.

“He is lovely to watch when he strikes the ball like that. It was effortless hitting, and it was a brilliant phase of the game for us.

“I feel there is more to come too. Alex Hales hasn’t fired yet, and we’ve just got to keep getting better.”

Worcestershire’s head coach, Kevin Sharp, admitted that he thought their total of 191 would have been good enough for victory.

“We were happy with it, but Wessels played some fantastic shots,” said Sharp. “They got off to a flier with 80-odd runs in only six overs.

“I was pleased that we got back in the game, however, and showed fight and resilience. There was a point where it looked like getting tight again, but Notts had a good over when three good shots by Tom Moores against Moeen Ali were whacked for six. That’s the fine lines of T20 cricket.”